Hurricane resistant foam-concrete structural composite

• US 6,185,891 B1
• Filed: 07/07/1999
• Issued: 02/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: R-40 Homes Incorporated
• Original Assignee: R-40 Homes Incorporated
• Inventors: Moore, Paul K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Purol, David M.
• Application Number:
  US09/349,024
• Time in Patent Office: 587 Days
• Field of Search: 523/091.2, 523/097, 523/091.6, 523/091.7, 527/81, 527/77, 527/78, 527/79, 527/80, 527/421.4
• US Class Current: 52/309.7
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2266/0228 Aromatic vinyl resin, e.g. styrenic (co)polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2305/022 Foam
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/712 Weather resistant
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2315/06 Concrete
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2329/00 Polyvinylalcohols, polyvinylethers, polyvinylaldehydes, polyvinylketones or polyvinylketals
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2419/00 Buildings or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/18 characterised by features of a layer of foamed material
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 16/0633 Polypropylene
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2111/00241 Physical properties of the materials not provided for elsewhere in C04B2111/00
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2111/00534 for plastic surfaces, e.g. polyurethane foams
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2111/00586 Roofing materials
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2111/00612 as one or more layers of a layered structure
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2111/2053 Earthquake- or hurricane-resistant materials
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2111/60 Flooring materials
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/2623 Polyvinylalcohols; Polyvinylacetates
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/04 Portland cements
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 40/0028 Aspects relating to the mixing step of the mortar preparation
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/12 the elements consisting of other material
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/165 with elongated load-supporting parts, cast in situ E04B1/161, E04B1/163 and E04B1/164 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 9/14 against other dangerous influences, e.g. tornadoes, floods
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/00 : in human health protection, e.g. against extreme weather

Abstract

The present invention is directed toward a new method of building construction which eliminates traditional framed wall and trussed roof construction methods. The method of construction utilizes a polymer bonded foam-concrete structural composite building material formed from a styrene foam having a fiber reinforced, ethylene-vinyl acetate containing concrete emulsion integrally cured thereto, resulting in enhanced impact resistance and enhanced ability to withstand tensile load. The resultant structure has enhanced thermal insulation properties. The invention is further directed to a foam panel interface construction which renders the resultant structure impervious to wind damage at velocities in the range of about 155-310 mph.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a wind resistant structure formed from a plurality of foam-concrete structural composite members comprising:

providing a rigid base having a shape defining an outer perimeter of said structure and being constructed and arranged to support said plurality of foam-concrete structural composite members;

affixing to said rigid base, a plurality of vertically oriented and adhesively engaged foam panels characterized as containing a plurality of channels adapted to contain a reinforcing post therein and whereby vertical wall portions of said structure are formed;

providing a plurality of obliquely oriented and adhesively engaged foam panels characterized as containing a plurality of channels adapted to contain a reinforcing post therein and whereby oblique roof portions of said structure are formed, said roof portions being adhesively attached to said vertical wall portions and further fixedly engaging a central horizontal reinforcing member, whereby a roof structure is formed;

inserting a plurality of reinforcing members within the channels of said vertical wall portions and said roof portions and further inserting a fiber reinforced, ethylene-vinyl acetate containing concrete emulsion within said channels whereby said reinforcing posts are formed in-situ;

applying multiple thin layers of said fiber reinforced, ethylene-vinyl acetate containing concrete emulsion to inner and outer surfaces of said vertical wall portions and roof portions, and curing said emulsion to provide an integrally bonded cementitious layer;

wherein a structure having enhanced tensile load characteristics is formed, said characteristics being effective to render said structure impervious to damage from winds in the range of about 155-310 mph.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

vertically extending sections of wall portion reinforcing members are adjusted to an angle which is equal to that of obliquely oriented roof portions and are inserted within reinforcing channels therein; and

obliquely extending sections of reinforcing members protruding from an uppermost edge of the obliquely oriented roof portions are constructed and arranged to extend through specially configured perforations within said central horizontal roof reinforcing member;

whereby upon injection of a concrete reinforcing slurry within said reinforcing channels a reinforced skeletal framework having an integral, fixedly engaged centrally located roof reinforcing member is formed.

3. A fiber reinforced, ethylene-vinyl acetate containing concrete emulsion produced by:

1) forming an ethylene-vinyl acetate reaction product by contacting vinyl acetate with gaseous ethylene until about a 3 wt. % ethylene concentration is reached;

2) adding water with constant agitation until an emulsion is formed containing about 55 wt. % of said ethylene-vinyl acetate reaction product;

3) further including about 2 wt. % propylene glycol and 1 wt. % ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer and continuing agitation whereby a stable concentrate is formed;

4) diluting the resultant stable concentrate of step (3) by adding about 3 parts by weight concentrate to about 5 parts by weight of water to form a working solution;

5) admixing the working solution of step (4) with a Portland mix, to form an ethylene-vinyl acetate containing concrete emulsion;

6) further admixing said ethylene-vinyl acetate containing concrete emulsion with an amount of fine polymer fibers effective to increase the tensile load characteristics of the ethylene-vinyl acetate containing concrete emulsion so as to enable it to withstand winds in excess of about 155 mph; and

7) agitating the mixture until a homogeneously dispersed, fiber reinforced ethylene-vinyl acetate containing concrete emulsion is formed.

4. The fiber reinforced, ethylene-vinyl acetate containing concrete emulsion of claim 3, wherein the fine polymer fibers are polypropylene fibers having a length of up to about 0.50″

.

5. In a house formed from rigid polystyrene foam panels having a concrete layer covering the inner and outer surfaces of the house structure, the improvement comprising:

the concrete layer being formed from a fiber reinforced, ethylene-vinyl acetate containing concrete emulsion produced according to the process of claim 3 and wherein said emulsion integrally bonds to the surface of the polystyrene panels upon solidification and curing thereof.

6. A house formed according to claim 5, further including a foam panel interface construction comprising:

first and second foam panels each being constructed and arranged to form a recess area and an abutting surface;

a bracket assembly for insertion of said first and second abutting surfaces, whereby upon insertion of said abutting surfaces within said bracket, said recess areas form a unitary post-forming channel adapted to receive a plurality of reinforcing bars and a quantity of said fiber reinforced, ethylene-vinyl acetate containing concrete emulsion therein;

whereby a unitary reinforced post structure is formed within said channel upon curing of said emulsion having enhanced rigidity and wind resistance effective to withstand winds in the range of about 155-310 mph.